The French heroine is thought to have handed the ring to England's Cardinal Henry Beaufort on the eve of her execution in 1431.

It remained in England ever since, and there is documentation to establish its provenance.

On Friday it was flown back to France when Puy du Fou president Nicolas de Villiers told French TV it was a "glorious return" for a "French treasure".

The ring inside its handmade wooden box Photo: CASCADE NEWS

The foundation appealed to donors to help it bid enough for the ring, which will be officially unveiled this month.

It was supposedly gifted to the patron saint by her parents before her death in 1431 ending up eventually in the possession of Essex man Robert Hasson after it was passed down to him by his father, who bought it at auction in 1947 for £175. .

Mr Hasson never suspected the true value of the trinket until he took it to Timeline Auctions, which is based in Dovercourt, which delved into its history.

They discovered that the ring matched a description, revealed in transcripts, given by Joan of Arc herself during the trial which resulted in her death.

She said it had the inscription 'Jhesus Maria' as well as three crosses, and was made from either gold or brass. And said it her hand when she touched St Catherine, who appeared before her in a vision.

Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake by the British aged just 19 and the ring passed on to Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, who was present at her trial.